Western Athletic Conference facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Western Athletic Conference

Association	NCAA
Founded	July 27, 1962; 63 years ago (1962-07-27)
Commissioner	Rebekah Ray (since March 13, 2025)
Sports fielded	16 men's: 7 women's: 9
Division	Division I
Subdivision	Non-football
No. of teams	7 (9 in 2026)
Headquarters	Arlington, Texas
Region	Southwestern United States Southern United States
TV partner(s)	ESPN
Locations

The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is a college sports group in NCAA Division I. It started in 1962. Soon, in July 2026, it will change its name to the United Athletic Conference (UAC). Many colleges from 15 states in the western USA have been part of the WAC. For the 2025–26 school year, the WAC has seven teams from Texas, Utah, and California.

For a long time, the WAC was a top-tier sports conference. It grew from 6 schools to 16 by 1996. But then, some schools left to start a new group called the Mountain West Conference. This made it hard for the WAC to keep its football teams. So, after the 2012–13 season, the WAC stopped having football. It became a conference for other sports. In 2021, the WAC brought football back, but at a slightly lower level (FCS). However, more schools left, and in 2023, the WAC stopped sponsoring football again. Its football teams joined with schools from another conference (ASUN) to create a new football-only group called the United Athletic Conference.

On June 26, 2025, the WAC and the ASUN Conference announced a big change. Starting July 1, 2026, the WAC will become the United Athletic Conference (UAC). This new conference will be home to many sports teams from both conferences, including those that play football. The ASUN Conference will continue for non-football sports. The UAC will keep the WAC's important NCAA Division I status and history. This new UAC is different from the football-only UAC that existed from 2021 to 2025. On October 10, 2025, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (known as Little Rock in sports) announced it would leave the Ohio Valley Conference. It joined the UAC, effective July 1, 2026. This brought the new UAC to nine members for its first year.

Member Schools

This section lists the schools that are part of the WAC, or will be part of the new United Athletic Conference.

Current Full Members

These schools are full members of the Western Athletic Conference.      Members departing for the Big West Conference on July 1, 2026.
     Members departing for the Big Sky Conference on July 1, 2026.

Future United Athletic Conference Members

These schools will join the UAC starting July 1, 2026.

Affiliate Members

These schools play certain sports in the WAC that their main conferences do not offer.

Future Associate Members

These schools will join the UAC for specific sports starting in 2026.

Former Full Members

The WAC has had many schools as full members over the years. Here are some of them:

Membership Timeline

Full members Full members (non-football) Affiliate members (football-only) Independent  Other conference Other conference Associate members (non-football)

• Before the 1996–97 school year, women's sports teams from Air Force and Hawaii often competed in other conferences. They later joined the WAC fully with their men's teams.
• Since the 2021–22 school year, the WAC has played football at the FCS level.

Map of the Members

History of the WAC

The Western Athletic Conference has a long and interesting history with many changes over the years.

How the WAC Started in the 1960s

The WAC began with talks between college sports leaders from 1958 to 1961. They wanted to create a new sports group that would better suit their schools. Six schools decided to form the WAC. These founding members were Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

The conference was a great fit for these schools. Arizona State's baseball team won national championships in 1965, 1967, and 1969. In 1967, Colorado State and Texas–El Paso (UTEP) joined, bringing the total to eight schools.

Growth and Changes in the 1970s and 1980s

In 1978, Arizona and Arizona State left the WAC to join another conference. San Diego State and Hawaii joined the WAC to replace them. In 1980, Air Force also joined. This group of nine teams stayed together for almost 15 years. Brigham Young's football team won a national championship in 1984, which made the WAC even more famous.

Big Expansion in the 1990s

In 1992, Fresno State joined the WAC. In 1990, the WAC also combined its men's and women's sports under one leadership.

In 1996, the WAC grew even more, adding six new schools. This brought the total to sixteen members. To manage this large group, the WAC divided its members into four sections. However, this big conference caused problems with travel costs and rivalries. In 1998, eight schools left to form the new Mountain West Conference.

Changes in the 2000s

In 2000, the University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada) joined the WAC. Other schools like Boise State, Louisiana Tech, Idaho, and New Mexico State also joined around this time. In 2005, four WAC schools left for another conference. The WAC then added Idaho, New Mexico State, and Utah State to keep its numbers strong.

The 2010s: Football Ends and New Schools Join

The 2010s brought many changes to college sports. Boise State, Fresno State, and Nevada left the WAC for the Mountain West Conference. The WAC tried to replace them with new schools like the University of Denver, University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), and Texas State.

However, more schools continued to leave. This made it very difficult for the WAC to keep its football program. After the 2012–13 season, the WAC decided to stop sponsoring football. It became a conference for other sports. To rebuild, the WAC added schools like Utah Valley University, CSU Bakersfield, Grand Canyon University, Chicago State University, and the University of Texas-Pan American. By 2014, most of the WAC's members were new.

In 2013, the University of Texas–Pan American merged with another school to form the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). UTRGV continued as a WAC member. In 2018, California Baptist University joined the WAC. In 2020, Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) and Tarleton State University also became WAC members.

The 2020s: Football Returns and Rebranding

On January 14, 2021, the WAC announced it would bring football back at the FCS level. Five new schools joined, including Abilene Christian University, Lamar University, Sam Houston State University, Stephen F. Austin State University, and Southern Utah University. UTRGV also planned to start an FCS football program.

The WAC partnered with the ASUN Conference for football. They created the "ASUN–WAC Challenge" for the 2021 season. This alliance helped their teams qualify for playoffs. In 2022, the alliance continued.

However, more schools continued to move. New Mexico State and Sam Houston left for Conference USA in 2023. Lamar also returned to the Southland Conference in 2022.

In December 2022, the WAC and ASUN decided to form a new football-only conference. This new league, called the United Athletic Conference, started playing in 2023. It included teams from both conferences.

The WAC saw many schools leave and join in the mid-2020s. In 2024, UTRGV and Stephen F. Austin left for the Southland Conference. Later that year, Grand Canyon and Seattle decided to join the West Coast Conference. Grand Canyon then changed its mind and moved to the Mountain West Conference a year earlier than planned, in 2025. This left the WAC with seven schools for the 2025–26 school year.

In early 2025, there were talks about California Baptist and Utah Valley leaving for the Big West Conference. California Baptist confirmed its move on March 5, 2025, and Utah Valley followed on June 4, 2025. Both moves were set for July 1, 2026. Then, on June 25, 2025, Southern Utah and Utah Tech also decided to join the Big Sky Conference, also effective July 1, 2026. These changes meant the WAC would only have three schools left after the 2025–26 school year.

On June 26, 2025, the WAC and the ASUN Conference announced a big change. Starting July 1, 2026, the WAC will become the United Athletic Conference (UAC). This new conference will be home to many sports teams from both conferences, including those that play football. The ASUN Conference will continue for non-football sports. The UAC will keep the WAC's important NCAA Division I status and history. This new UAC is different from the football-only UAC that existed from 2021 to 2025. On October 10, 2025, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (known as Little Rock in sports) announced it would leave the Ohio Valley Conference. It joined the UAC, effective July 1, 2026. This brought the new UAC to nine members for its first year.

In February 2026, the WAC started a lawsuit against Utah Valley University. This happened because the university did not pay a fee it owed after deciding to leave the WAC for the Big West Conference. The WAC said that because the fee was not paid, Utah Valley University was "not in good standing." This could mean losing voting rights or not being able to participate in WAC championships.

WAC Leaders

Commissioners of the WAC

These are the people who have led the WAC over the years:

Sports in the WAC

The Western Athletic Conference currently offers championships in 7 men's and 9 women's sports. Some other schools are also associate members in four sports.

Men's Sports by School

This table shows which men's sports each school plays in the WAC.

Men's Sports Not Sponsored by WAC

Some WAC schools play other men's sports in different conferences.

Women's Sports by School

This table shows which women's sports each school plays in the WAC.

Women's Sports Not Sponsored by WAC

Some WAC schools play other women's sports in different conferences.

Football in the WAC

The WAC sponsored football from its start in 1962 until the 2012 season. It stopped sponsoring football because many football-playing schools left for other conferences.

Football Returns to the WAC

On January 14, 2021, the WAC announced that football would return as a conference sport at the FCS level. Five new members joined, including Abilene Christian University, Lamar University, Sam Houston State University, Stephen F. Austin State University, and Southern Utah University. These schools were often called the "Texas Four." UTRGV, a non-football member, also planned to start an FCS football program.

The WAC partnered with the ASUN Conference to restart its football league. This partnership was called the "ASUN–WAC Challenge." It helped their teams qualify for the FCS postseason. In 2023, the ASUN and WAC football leagues fully merged to form the new United Athletic Conference (football).

Men's Basketball

Here are some details about men's basketball teams in the WAC.

WAC Tournament

Rivalries Some WAC teams have exciting rivalries in men's basketball:

Awards

Women's Basketball

Here are some details about women's basketball teams in the WAC.

WAC Tournament

Rivalries Some WAC teams have exciting rivalries in women's basketball:

Baseball

The WAC has seen its teams win seven NCAA baseball national championships. The most recent WAC national champion was the 2008 Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team.

WAC Tournament

Championships

Current Champions

Here are the champions for the 2024-25 school year:

• (RS) means regular-season champion.
• (T) means tournament champion.

National Championships Won by WAC Teams

These teams won national championships while they were members of the WAC:

• Arizona – baseball (1976)
• Arizona State – baseball (1965, 1967, 1969, 1977)
• BYU – men's track & field (shared the national title in 1970)
• BYU – men's golf (1981)
• BYU – women's cross country (1997)
• Fresno State – softball (1998)
• Fresno State – baseball (2008)
• Rice – baseball (2003)
• UTEP – NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country (1969, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981)
• UTEP – NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track and Field (1974,1975,1976,1978,1980,1981,1982)
• UTEP – NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field (1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982)
• UNLV – men's golf (1998)

The WAC has also had one football national champion:

• BYU (1984)

Spending and Revenue

This section shows how much money WAC schools spend and earn on their sports programs.

Sports Facilities

This table shows the stadiums and arenas where WAC teams play their games. Schools leaving the WAC are in pink. Future members are in green.

WAC Awards

The WAC gives out special awards to recognize great achievements in sports and academics.

Commissioner's Cup

The Commissioner's Cup is given to the school that performs best across all of the WAC's men's and women's championships.

Joe Kearney Award

This award is named after former WAC commissioner Dr. Joseph Kearney. It is given each year to the top male and female athletes in the WAC.

Stan Bates Award

Named after former WAC Commissioner Stan Bates, this award honors the WAC's best male and female student-athletes. It recognizes their achievements in both sports and school. Winners also receive a $3,000 scholarship for graduate studies.

WAC Media

WAC Digital Network

In 2014–15, the WAC started its own digital network. This network lets fans watch many regular season games and championship events online. These include volleyball, soccer, basketball, softball, and baseball.

See also

In Spanish: Western Athletic Conference para niños